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Writing Down Educational Goals: Why It’s Important

Everything you need to know about why you should be writing down educational goals!

Education is often touted as the next best thing after sliced bread – which it is – but in reality, it can be frustrating for any student or homeschool parent. Have you ever had to spend hours writing an essay for your literature class? Or had to teach your child how to solve a simultaneous equation ten times over?

If you’ve ever been in any of these scenarios, you will definitely understand that getting through school isn’t all roses and sunshine.

Most students and parents have discovered one clear-cut hack for improving academic performance: setting goals for school year. Indeed, the importance of goal setting for students cannot be emphasized enough. Not only does it help students get better grades, but it also gives them something to look forward to. For example you can always opt to get help from a college essay writing service, but after stating a goal a student will always be motivated to write any paper by himself.

However, it’s not enough to simply set educational goals. You would also need to write them down if you’re trying to ensure that they don’t end up as unchecked items on your mental bucket list. According to psychological studies, people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them than people who don’t.

Writing down educational goals can help you conquer them faster. These tips can help make sure your goals are perfect for what you want to achieve!
However, if you’re still not convinced enough, here are three solid reasons why you should write down any educational goals you may have:

Noting goals down makes them easier to remember

Schoolwork can be extremely overwhelming for any homeschool student or parent. On the one hand, a student may feel pressured to impress their parents by assimilating information and core concepts faster. On the other hand, a parent has to play the dual role of a good teacher and a supportive parent simultaneously.

With these struggles, it’s far too easy to forget any educational goals you may have set at the start of the year. However, writing down goals helps to ensure that you never forget them even when you’re drowning under a huge amount of workload.

Writing down educational goals also serve as a constant reminder of what still needs to be done. For instance, if you’re trying to explore each subject completely without leaving any stone unturned, writing down this goal will help you remember it and change the trajectory of your reading or teaching strategy.

Increases motivation

When it comes to studying, it’s common for both students and homeschool parents to lose motivation. Some days, students may feel too tired or down spirited to crack open a book. Well, they’re not alone. At most homeschool meetings, speakers who are homeschooling admit to having at least one child who lost motivation.
The same happens when you set educational goals. In some cases, you may have zero enthusiasm to put in the work required to achieve those goals. However, writing them down will help you boost inspiration. This strategy also helps to hold you accountable for any goals you may have set.

Subconsciously, your brain will feel an increased level of commitment to those objectives. As such, you will constantly hear the “fire alarms” ringing in your head, urging you to complete the tasks successfully.

Enhances clarity and focus

Oftentimes, when we set educational goals, we map out vague or ambiguous aspirations. For instance, let’s assume your educational goal is to get better grades or become a better homeschool teacher. Sure, these may be realistic goals but they are shrouded by a lot of ambiguity.

What subjects are you trying to improve in? In what areas are you trying to improve your teaching skills? What steps do you need to take to achieve these objectives?
Writing down your goals will help you to answer all these questions and gain clarity and focus. This way, you can easily map out clear strategies for achieving your goals with no confusion or hesitation.

How to Set Educational Goals

Goal setting is a great way to improve your overall academic performance even when you’re feeling overwhelmed by schoolwork. But how do you set the right educational goals that can be achieved within a reasonable time frame? How can you even tell if your goals are realistic?

Here are some tips to help you along the way:

Set measurable objectives

Why is it important that goals be measurable? Well, it's simple. Setting measurable goals helps to give you a clear idea of what you want to achieve and lets you know when exactly you’ve achieved them.
For instance, if you set an educational goal such as “want to get better at Algebra” or something similar, you might have trouble achieving it because it is not measurable. How do you know when you get better? What metrics can you use to gauge your improvement?

A more measurable goal would be something like: “want to get an A in Algebra.” This way, you have a clearer idea of what you’re trying to achieve.

Set both short and long term goals

When it comes to defining educational and personal goals, people often aim for only long-term goals such as getting a high school degree. However, aims such as this may seem daunting and overwhelming at first.

Instead, it’s advisable to break it down into tiny chunks of short-term goals, such as completing certain classes or term projects. With this strategy, you’ll find it easier to achieve all your goals without feeling overwhelmed. When you start writing down educational goals, you’ll see how much easier they are to complete!

Step out of your comfort zone

Even though it may be tempting to keep swimming in your comfort zone, this often gives room for mediocrity. That’s why, when setting educational goals, try to step out of your comfort zone.
If you’ve been a C student, strive for a B or even an A if you’re feeling adventurous. You don’t even necessarily have to stray too far from your comfort zone – just two steps out of it will do the trick.

Map out clear strategies

When setting academic goals for students, it’s important to map out transparent strategies and plans to help achieve them. You could include plans such as extra study hours, more homeschool resources, or tools that will help you reach your goal in no time at all.

Final Thoughts

Writing down educational goals is a great way to ensure that you reach them without quitting along the way. Not only does it increase your motivation, but it also helps to enhance clarity and focus. Ultimately, this approach will help you set and achieve realistic, measurable goals.

Writing down educational goals can help you conquer them faster. These tips can help make sure your goals are perfect for what you want to achieve!


Writing down educational goals can help you conquer them faster. These tips can help make sure your goals are perfect for what you want to achieve!

About the Author:

Amanda Dudley is a writer who holds a Ph.D. in History. She graduated from Stanford University in 2001 and is currently lecturing on American and World history. In addition to her lecturing duties, Amanda works with students at EssayUSA, using her knowledge and skills to produce word-perfect papers and essays.